Keeping things private: Trump using personal cellphone more

A report revealed that Trump has been using his personal phone more frequently

He is believed to be using his own cellphone to talk with outside advisers and Republican lawmakers

Experts believe it is an indicator of John Kelly’s waning influence over the president’s day-to-day habits

WASHINGTON, U.S. - In what experts are calling an indication that the White House Chief of Staff might be losing his influence over the U.S. President Donald Trumps day-to-day habits - a report revealed that Trump has been using his personal cellphone a lot more.

According to a report in CNN, the President has been using his personal cellphone - as opposed to the White House switchboard - more frequently to talk with outside advisers and Republican lawmakers.

The report quoted multiple sources as speculating that this was an indicator of John Kellys waning influence.

A source quoted in the report said, Kelly used to be more clearly the gatekeeper than he is now from a Hill standpoint. I dont know that [Trump] is even running it by the chief of staff anymore.

According to the report, Kelly receives a print-out of which leaders and individuals Trump contacts through the White House switchboard.

Another source speculated that when Kelly came aboard, Trump did not entirely give up his personal cell phone, adding that now, the President might be ramping up the use of his personal device recently in part because "he doesn't want Kelly to know who he's talking to."

Further, the senior White House official revealed that Trump "is talking to all sorts of people on it," noting Trump's barrage of private calls is a "recent development."

The report further quoted three sources familiar with the situation as saying that Trump has also increased his direct outreach to GOP lawmakers over the past several weeks, sometimes employing his cell phone.

A source familiar with Trump's calls to congressional allies said, Basically, at this point, he's just sort of engaging on his own.

The source pointed out that earlier, members would typically call Kelly's office if they wanted to set up a talk with Trump rather than dial the President directly.

The official said, "I don't know that he even is running it by the chief of staff anymore.

Commenting on Kellys possibly diminishing influence over Trump, another source close to the White House said, "Definitely, the walls are breaking.

The source pointed out changes in procedures Kelly initially established to regulate access to Trump.

Amid renewed concerns over leaks within the administration following the release of the book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, reports revealed that Kelly had bannedWhite House staffers fromcarryingpersonal cellphones in thebuildingfrom 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Another source close to the White House added that "a lot of meetings, a lot of things have happened lately without Kelly being in the room."

The report also stated that former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has benefitted due to Kelly's loosening grip.

It quoted a source as citing Lewandowski, who is said to have recently bragged to friends that he now enjoys "unfettered" access to the President.

As soon as he assumed charge within the White House, Kelly is believed to have attempted to limit Lewandowski's access to Trump from the nearly unchecked privileges he enjoyed at the start of the administration.

Meanwhile, sources quoted in the report also revealed that Trump is recently said to have clarified that his new economic adviser, Larry Kudlow and his new National Security Adviser, John Bolton are "direct reports" to him and not to Kelly.

However, their respective predecessors reported directly to the chief of staff or at least looped Kelly in after a meeting with the President.

This too, was indicated as a potential sign of Trump's shift toward controlling more of what goes on in his own White House.

During his entire time in office, Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama used only a personal Blackberry and the White House said at the time that the device given to Obama was outfitted with enhanced security to protect potentially classified talks.

Mary McCord, who used to head the Justice Department's national security division, has said that smartphones are notorious for their security vulnerabilities.

She explained, "Because the smartphones of high-level government officials -- including the President -- are obvious targets for foreign intelligence services, the government goes to significant effort to ensure that government-issued smartphones are constantly updated to address security vulnerabilities. Use of personal smartphones, which may not have all of the security features of government-issued smartphones or be regularly updated to address newly discovered vulnerabilities, present an obvious potential security risk."

The report suggested that the White House might be witnessing Trumps return to the free-wheeling mode of operation that characterized the earliest days of his administration.